Internal-combustion engine.



w. H. uPIoN & H..c. sToLL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTIQN ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED APR-12, |915.

Patented Apr. 3, 19,17.

W. H. UPTON & H. C. STOLL. INTERNAL coNusnQN ENGINE.

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WILLIAM H. UPTON AND NRY C. STOLL, NEW YORK, N. Y.

TNTEBNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

agences.

. speeiacanon of Lattre raient.

The objects of theinvention are to improve and simplify the valve` mechanism and increase the efficiency generally .of such engines.

These objects we have accomplished by employing a rotary valve located in the head of the engine cylinder and controlling both intake and exhaust operations. Aecording to a preferred embodiment this valve has a port which at the proper points of piston travel is carried into registry wlth intake and exhaust portsv in the cylinder head. Preferably also the valve is held .yieldingly seated againstthis cylinder head and packing is provided to prevent leakage past the valve. Another feature of the invention is the mounting of the spark plugl or other ignition device in a pocket inthe cylinder head and operating the same to lire the mixture through the port in the valve when said port registers therewith.

@ther features and details of .structure will appear as the specification proceeds.

The drawings illustrate the invention as embodied in several preferred forms but it will be understood that changes and modilications may be made within the scope of the appended claims withoutl departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention. ,v

Figure 1, is a broken and lmore' or less diagrammatic side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with and embodying the invention.

Fig. 2, is a verticaly sectional view of the 'same taken on a plane substantially at right angles tothat of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a broken plan view loo down on top of the engine, the exhaust con# duit having been-removed to expose the top of the cylinder head and the intake manifold or conduit.- y

Figs. 4, 5 and 6are plan views taken substantially on the plane of the line 4 6 of Patented npr. 3, igt?.

Application ledApril 12, 11915. Serial N 0. 20,808.

Fig. 2, showing the valve in the intake, firing and exhaust positions.

- Fig. 7 is a plan view7 of the'engine with the exhaust conduit in proper position. This view illustrates the placing of the spark plug.

Fig. 8, is a vertical sectional view of a somewhat modified. form of the valve construction.'

Fig. 9, is a plan view yof this construction.

Figs.- 10 and 11 illustrate diagrammatically two modes of operating the valves in a multi-cylinder engine.

Tn the form of the invention illustrated in the first seven figures, the engine cylinder` 20 has two heads, 21 and 22, superpesed one above the other with' a space ytherebetween to receive the valve 23. This valve is shown in the form of a relatively flat disk provided with a dependent flange or skirt 24 at the edge thereof fitting down over the top of the cylinder and having spur teeth 25 engaged by Va driving pinion 26.

The cylinder heads are provided with a series of alined ports 30 forming intakes for the fuel and with .another series of alined ports 31 forming exhaust outlets. Tn

the illustration there are four equidistantly spaced intake ports and four equidistantly spaced exhaustA ports7 said ports being segmental in'shape and the exhaust ports being somewhat larger than the intakes to allow for -quick clearance of the burned charge. The v alve is in this case provided with four eouidistantly spaced segmental ports 32 and is rotated at a speed ratio of one to eight. That is, for each eight revolutions of the crank shaft 33, the valve will be rotated once. 'The gearing for accomplishing this may be of any suitable character, that shown, consisting of a bevel gear 34 on the crank shaft meshing with a bevel gear-35 on ythe upright shaft 36 which carries the valve-engaging pinion 26 on its upper end. The piston 37 and connecting rod 38. may be of any usual or preferred construction. i

The valve is preferably maintained in self-seating engagement with the upper cylinder head, means for this purpose being shown in the form of spring-pressed rods 40 supporting a ball race 41 on which the flange 24 of the valve rides. This prevents leakage between the valve and the upper cylinder head and causes the valve to take up its own wear. The valve may be further guided by having a. central stud 42, journaled between the cylinder heads.

Suitable packing is preferably provided to 4prevent leakage between the valve and the lower' cylinder head, that shown in Fig. 2 comprising packing rings 45 seated in grooves in the outer wall of the cylinder and engaging the inner surface of the flange of the valve. This provides a close joint and 1 arrangement the exhaust gases serve to heat the intake manifold and thus warm the mixture entering the cylinder. The intake manifold may be made integral with the upper cylinder head as indicated and be suitably bolted to the body of the cylinder, the line of separation between the cylinder and this head unit being indicated at 53. The ex; haust conduit may simply be in the nature of a cap slipped on over the neck of the intake as indicated at 54 and bolted down on top of lthe cylinder head by bolts 55, which bolts may be the same ones that secure the head in place.

A suitable ignition device is provided, the same being here shown as a spark plug seated in a pocket 61 provided in the upper cylinder head and arranged to fire through an opening 62 in the lower cylinder head when the port in the valve registers therewith. Suitable circuit connections by which this may be accomplished are indicated in Fig. 2 where 63 indicates a source of current, 64 a commutator on the crank shaft, 65 a coil box and 66 a connection from the coil to the spark plug. The exhaust conduit is preferably recessed as indicated at 67 to receive the spark plug. This obviates the need for passing the plug down through the conduits and allows of the use of an ordinary sized plug. v

In Fig. 2 the parts are illustrated as they appear on the firing stroke, the ports in the cylinder heads being closed by the solid portions of the valve. Fig. 4 shows the valve at commencement of the -intake stroke, the

ports 32 therein just commencing to register vwith the intake ports 30 in the heads and the vpiston being on its downward stroke. These -sion stroke one of the ports 32 in the valve registers with the ignition pocket 61 (Fig. 5) and the ignition device being thereupon operated, fires the charge down through such registered port and through the firing opening 62 in the lower cylinder head. At or near the end of the downward firing or power stroke the ports 32 in the valve begin to register with the exhaust ports 31, (Fig. 6). These ports remain open during the upward exhaust stroke of the piston but are closed before the next suction stroke commences (Fig. 4).

The admission and exhaust of the charges through a. plurality of ports causes a full, quick intake'l of the fresh gases and a complete quick exhaust of the burned gases and also has the effect of keeping the parts properly cooled to a good working temperature. The registry of the valve ports with theignition device is of sulicient duration to allow for the usual advance or retardation of ignition.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 the valve 70 is located between upper land lower cylinder heads 71 and 72 but in this4 case only the upper head is ported. This upper cylinder 'head is shown as conical or tapering in form and the valve is similarly shaped so as to automatically seat itself as it wears down. The valve is held to its seat by a spring 73 coiled about the stem 74 of the valve and engaged between the drive gear 75 and a collar-76von the end of the spindle. In this particular case also the cylinder head has only a single intake port 77 and a single exhaust port78 and the valve has only a single port 79. This port in the valve extends inwardly from the bearing surface of the valve substantially at a right angle to such surface and thence straight on Ydown through the neck portion-8O of the valve.l The neck portion 80 is rotatably sea-ted in the lower cylinder head 72 and packing rings 82 may be provided thereat to prevent leakage between the valve and this lower head. I

The spark plug 85 is seated in a pocket 86 provided in the upper cylinder head and is operated to lire the charge down through `the valve port 79 when said port registers therewith. In this construction. it will be noted that'the valve is relieved of all pressure of the explosion, as such pressure is taken up by the upper cylinder head through the valve port 7 9. The valve in the particular construction shown rotates once to each two revolutions -of the crank shaft but if more ports were provided the valve would be rotated at a slower rate as will be understood from the description of the first construction shown.

In the case of a multi-cylinder engine suitable gearing will be provided for operating the valves in proper time. Fig. 10 illustrates how the valve gears 90 of all the cyl weies il inders may mesh withl one another and be driven by a single drive pinion 91. In Fig. 11 the valves are shown provided with worm gears 92 engaged by worms 93 on a common drive shaft 94.

The engine constructed in accordance with our invention is very simple, free from the complication of cams, rockers, etc., and is very-nquiet in operation. The terms which we have employed in disclosin the invention will be understood as used in a descriptive rather than in a limiting sense, except as may be required by the prior art. 'llhe term rotary as an instance, as applied to the valve is intended to comprehend a partial rotary as well as a full rotary movement of the valve.

What we claim is:-

cylinder provided with superposed heads spaced one above the other and providedI with segmental ports therein, said upper head having a pocket therein and said lower head having an opening in line with said pocket, an ignition device seated in said pocket, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with a segmental port to register with the ports in the heads, means for rotating said valve and intake and exhaust conduits communicating with the ports in the upper cylinder head.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinderA provided with superposed heads spaced one above the other and provided with segmental ports therein, said upper head having a pocket and said lower head having an ignition opening in line with said pocket, an ignition device seated in said pocket, a valve rotatably engaged between the cylinder heads provided with segmental ports to register withthe ports in the heads, means for rotating said valve, means for operating the ignition device when the segmental ports in the valve register with the ignition opening vin the lower cylinder head and intake and exhaust conduits communieating with the ports in the upper cylinder head.

3. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed spaced heads having four equidistantly spaced segmental intake ports and Jfour equidistantly spaced segmental exhaust ports therein, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with four equidistantly spaced segmental slots therein, an intake conduit communicating with the four intake ports, an exhaust conduit communicating with the four exhaust ports, a crank shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected with said crank shaft, means operated by said crank shaft for rotating the valve once to each eight revolutions of the crank shaft and an ignition device operable at every quarter-revolution of the valve.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed spaced heads having a plurality of equidistantly spaced intake ports and the same number of equidistantly spaced exhaust ports therein, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with equidistantly spaced ports equal in number to the number of intake ports in the cylinder head, an intake conduit communicating with the intake ports, an exhaust conduit communicating with the exhaust ports, a crank shaft, a piston in the cylinder connected with the crank shaft, means for rotating the valve once to a number of revolutions of the crank shaft corresponding to twice the number of ports in the valve and an ,ignition device operable at every second revolution of the crank shaft.

5. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed spaced heads having segmental ports therein, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with segmental ports to register with the ports in the heads, a ball race for supporting the valve, spring supports for said ball race and means for rotating the valve.

6. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed spaced heads having segmental ports therein, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with segmental ports to register with the ports in the heads, and with a dependent rim portion engaging over the outside of the cylinder, packing between said dependent rim portion and the outside of the cylinder and means for rotating the valve.

7. In` an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed' heads spaced one above the other and having a plurality of registering intake ports and exhaust ports therein, an intake manifold having branches communicating with the several intake ports in the upper cylinder head, an exhaust conduit covering the exhaust ports in the upper cylinder head, a valve rotatably engaged between the heads provided with ports to register with the intake and exhaust ports and means for rotating said valve.

8. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed heads having a plurality of registering equidistantly spaced intake ports and a plurality of equidistantly spaced exhaust ports therein, a.

valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced ports therein corresponding in number and spacingto the number of intake ports in the head, means for rotating said valve, an intake conduit communicating with the several intake ports in the head and an exhaust conduit communicating with the several exhaust ports in the head.

9. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with superposed heads having intake and exhaust ports therein, a valve rotatably engaged between said heads provided With a port therein for registry -With the intake and exhaust ports, a ball race forming a bearing for the valve and springpressed rods supporting said ball race to thereby yieldingly hold the valve seated against' the upper cylinder head.

10. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder provided with ahead having a plurality of equidistantly spaced intake ports therein and a similar number of equidistantly spaced exhaust ports therein, a rotatable valve covering said cylinder head and provided with a plurality of equidistantly spaced ports therein corresponding in number and spacing to the intake and exhaust ports respectively in the cylinder head, means for rotating said valve, an intake conduit having vbranches communicating with the several intake ports in the head, an exhaust conduit inclosing the branches of the intake conduit and communicating with the several exhaust ports in the head, an ignition device, said head and said valve having openings through which said ignition device fires the charge in the cylinder.

WILLIAM H. UPTON. HENRY C. STOLL.

Witnesses:

R. S. ALLYN, PHILIP S. MCLEAN. 

